Except the horrible "trap" is not something many people care much about.

Zoom seems VERY focused on making stuff easy to use.

They clearly are doing things like installing in user folders etc to get around organization "protections". Same thing with the crazy web server launcher. Yes - creates privacy / security risks but also made things marginally easier. Same with the Facebook SDK integration etc. They are going for ease of use FIRST.

HN is treating zoom as if it's some devil software. Part of the REASON for it's success (vs the fully end to end encrypted offerings etc) is because it DOESN'T emphasize security / privacy, it can be installed in a shadow IT manner etc.

That is why it is successful.

> it DOESN'T emphasize security / privacy

This sounds right to me.

Last week on Zoom, I attended an online conference (https://www.daniellitt.com/agonize/), and participated in a D+D game. Privacy and security weren't priorities. (Indeed, complete video of the conference has since been posted.)

That said, there have been problems, see for example here:

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2020/03/26/zoombombers-d...

Some random trolls apparently joined a Zoom class and made jackasses of themselves.

This use of the word security drives me insane; security is composed of availability, integrity, and confidentiality weighed against each other. Having 0 confidentiality controls (hypothetically, not that this is the case here) is not necessarily insecure.

Privacy is not a synonym for security. It's not even necessarily a requirement for good security.

How do you think hiding the possibility of doing calls in the browser fit into that picture? Surely doesn't make things easier for the people that don't want to / aren't allowed to install things.

> Except the horrible "trap" is not something many people care much about.

Yes unfortunately. Mouses would be better off caring for mouse traps.

> That is why it is successful.

Successful for them but not for us as a community in the long run.

>Except the horrible "trap" is not something many people care much about.

What makes you so sure?

Because the security / privacy focused video conferencing apps are getting no traction. Because the tradeoffs for security / privacy (more difficult onboarding for an individual on new devices, more difficult inviting, poorer video quality etc) seem to have scared people away from those options (which do exist) and into the arms of zoom which has made ease of use it's entire focus.

You can set your own meeting room to be join-able BY ANYONE with an ID that DOES NOT CHANGE. Terrible security - great convenience.

Business and educators get feedback if students etc are using other programs other than zoom while on call. TERRIBLE for privacy (zoom tracking which windows are foreground etc) - nice convenience for teachers and bosses who like this.

At every turn, zoom has emphasized things like this.

Free software doesn't come with built-in cloud networking / server capacity to multiplex everyone's video streams to each other.